Please read this article before going on to the rebuttal article below!
Friday, May 23, 2008

"Anonymous" Comment about our Village Public Safety (Code Officers)
One problem, according to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Patchogue does not have a Constabulary. They have not had any of the required training except for the Basic Course for Peace Officers. They don't even receive annual firearms training. The state also has 84+ hours of required additional training for Peace Officers to perform traffic stops. Let's call them what they are, Security Guards. There is nothing wrong with the title "Security Guard". Leave the police details to those who are properly trained.

Rebuttal Comment from Anonymous:
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post ""Anonymous" Comment about our Village Public Safet...":

Patchogue Constables did have yearly qualifications in firearms with Police certified instructors they where also trained in the use of the ASP along with OC pepper-spray. And received Peace Office training by the Suffolk County Sheriffs Dept. The same course as the correctional Officers, Spca, Suffolk county Fire Marshalls and all other Peace Officer positions. The same course required by DCJS The Suffolk County Probation Dept also provided them with gang training. So check the facts before you write.

Comment from the Editor:

Patchogue Village is not a high crime area; the people that cause trouble in our village usually do not live hear! It is for this reason that the Patchogue Village Constabulary was formed some Fifteen years ago. I do not speak for, or represent the Patchogue Village Government; I only speak as a long term advocate of having Constables patrolling our streets at night.

Twenty years ago many of the Municipalities in Suffolk County signed a document with Suffolk, forever precluding them from having a “Police Force.” At that time, the county wanted to protect their investment in the Suffolk County Police Department Infrastructure! This is understandable!

The Patchogue Village Constabulary, was slowly rendered ineffective because of pressure from special interest groups (see note at the end of this posting). Without the authorization from Suffolk County, Patchogue Village could not nurture a Constabulary. The Constabulary markings, on the Village Cars was replaced with signage that says Public Safety, because our Officers were denied Peace Officer Status. Is this a deterrent to transient criminals? Absolutely not!

The tragic death of Marcelo Lucero, in our village has forced everyone to again look at this issue! Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, had absolutely nothing to do with signing the law that prevented our village from protecting itself from transient criminals. It’s about time that that this “Broken Law,” was forever erased from the Suffolk County Law Books.

So what can we do to improve security?
Assign three Suffolk County Police cars to Patchogue Village 24/7, permanently. The County of Suffolk should consider this option.

Have the Guardian Angels patrol the streets of Patchogue Village between the hours of 10 PM and 2 AM, when the employees are leaving work.

Give our Patchogue Village Officers, Peace Officer Status, and again put the Constable signage on our Public Safety Cars!

Have the restaurant owners inform Public Safety of the time that employees will be leaving for home.

NOTE:
It has been reported that the document that prompted "Comment from Anonymous" to write a rebuttal, did not originate from the Police Department. The author of that document obviously has his own private agenda! There are many isolated groups in Patchogue Village, with private agendas!

My agenda is not at all private; I encourage doing whatever is necessary to maintain our quality of life!

Do we have an acceptable quality of life in Patchogue Village?

Do we need the protection offered by the Guardian Angels?

Has the media portrayed us as a community that basks in hate crime?

So what is your opinion?

Comment from Anonymous:

Do I feel Patchogue is safe? I feel Main Street is. Where I live…not so much. It may have to do with the fact that the quality of life in my immediate area (West Patchogue near the water) is declining due to the housing students, the lack of police patrols, and the hesitancy of locals to do anything to stop these occurrences. The bars on River have added to the problem, what with the traffic and the intoxication of the patrons when they get behind the wheel. My friends and I have been harassed several times, and one time someone hung out of a car and hit my brother with a baseball bat (luckily, all he got was a bruise.) The west side of town is in decline. The people who do not live there only see the restaurants and the college and the businesses. They don’t see the whole picture…what happens at night to the locals. Something needs to be done.

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